It always comes back to redemption, and M.D. James (the latest moniker of L.A. underground club outlaw Matt Dell) gets as close as one can get to it without disintegrating on his slithering prayer of a debut EP, 5 Year Lapse. Throughout its pointed 20-minute runtime, Dell slinks effortlessly between a bounty of scattered moods and twisted logic: “Dogblood” is jinxed by a twisty clarinet line and a murky beat that could soundtrack a sandy marketplace hustle, while “Summer’s End” is some straight classical glow, its twinkling piano keys twirling about in a heavenly remorse. “Untitled I” even stitches together field recordings and bedroom guitar ruminations to create a headspace as autumnal as it is woozy, capping the suite off on a peaceful quiet even as police sirens howl in the distance. Every track has its own distinct character, but together they all paint a picture of M.D. James as contradictory as it is flowing; another late, seedy night, another morning spent lying in hope.
5 Year Lapse is out now via The Astral Plane. Pick up a tape here, and stream the whole majestic thing below:
More about: M.D. James, Matthew + Bod
